Profile: David and Ed Miliband

David may be lining up a bid to replace Gordon Brown but some insiders reckon Ed has the real skills for the job

Two perceptions of the Miliband brothers hold sway in the Westminster rookery. One is that David is a prime minister in waiting while Ed, his younger sibling, lives in his shadow. The other is more intriguing - that David lacks the necessary skills for great office but Ed possesses them in abundance and will one day get his shot at No 10.

The contrasts between the Milibands - the first brothers to sit in cabinet since 1938 - are being fed into a Cain and Abel scenario. Ed may have to choose whether he backs his mentor Gordon Brown or his Blairite brother, who was accused last week of disloyally signalling his leadership intentions in a Guardian article.

Despite their age difference - David is 43 and Ed 38 - they are often confused with each other. At Ed's first conference as a minister, a trade union leader apologised to him profusely: "David, David! I'm